Let me explain
Desalinated water production is now about 17 million cubic metres a day, of which 11 to 12 million come from seawater, up from about 5 million. Electricity use in desalination fell from about 5 to about 2.4 kilowatt hours per cubic metre, and burning about 300,000 barrels of fuel a day has stopped. Agricultural water use fell from 21 to about 11 billion cubic metres a year. The water bill covers about a quarter of the cost, and the state supports the sector with about SR32 billion a year. Non-revenue water fell from about 70% to about 30%, with a target of 15%. The minister also said that "meteorological information is sovereign information", and that analysing and publishing weather data requires a licence. According to the National Center for Meteorology, more than 2,000 amateurs and activists have obtained licences (Socrates podcast, Thmanyah, 11 October 2026).